Soul Redemption
by Plains-Of-White
Summary: E.N.D is the most powerful demon of the demon books of Zeref and is unmatched in strength throughout the land. But when he comes across a blonde guardian he learns he might not be as strong as he thinks.


He hated humans.

They were such vile creatures filled with useless emotions such as, envy, sadness, fear, lust, and worst of all love.

They knew nothing but treachery. How to stab someone in the back and spread lies like the snakes they were.

He, however, was not a weak pitiful human. He was a demon. The most powerful of the black wizard Zeref's creations. Known as Etherious Natsu Dragneel or END. His name was feared through out the land, no one stood up to him, no one stood on the same ground. With an entire guild of demons at his beck and call, END was virtually unstoppable. He was a half demon, half dragon hybrid, both being the strongest beasts in the lands, END held power unmatched by anyone.

He spent most of his days overseeing the current state of the demonic world. He preferred his own company in the darkness of his study. Though he was alone, he never felt lonely, Zeref didn't give him the ability to feel an emotion such as that. Just as he knew no fear, envy, sadness, or love. But an emotion he was able to feel was pleasure. The pleasure of seeing his enemies burn at his feet and ruth in agony. Playing chase was always his favorite game. The pleasure of the hunt that came before the kill. It sent chills through his bones. Fear was his favorite emotion to see on a mortals face.

...

Today was a particularly slow day. No work to be done, no prisoners to be tortured, no enemy to be squashed, nothing for him today. His desk work was all done and Mard Geer had already picked it up. Feeling extra bored, END decided to go on a walk in th forest to pass th time.

Flying down from the palace of Tartaros he landed down near the river, where he followed the water down stream heading south. Though his plans for a peaceful walk were smashed when he came across a human girl gathering water from the river. By her clothes END knew that she was a priestess of some kind. 'There must be a shrine around here' He thought.

Things took a strange turn when the girl looked over and saw him standing there. END expected her to scream and run away but none of that happened. She simply stood up with her bucket of water and headed down the path away from him.

'Did she just turn her back on me?' He questioned. 'No mortal is foolish enough to do such a thing!'

"Mortal!" He shouted at her retreating figure. The woman came to a stop and looked back at him, her chocolate eyes held no fear. It pissed him off. "Are foolish enough to turn your back on a demon and expect to come out alive?!"

"I hold no fear for any demon. You cannot hurt me." She voiced, her expressionless face unwavering.

"Do you wish to die?!"

"I do not fear death."

END grinded his teeth together. This woman was pissing him off on a whole new level. "Then let me show you that fear!" He howled and flew straight at her. But he was forced back by a bright light. Holy magic...just perfect. END growled, gritting his teeth and struggled against the light.

Thou who dwells within the darkness of the netherworld, I force your hand upon heaven's name and command thy's submission! Bind!" She chanted. As she finished her enchantment, END could no longer move. He tried vigorously to fight of her enchantment but to no avail. He glared dangerously at the girl with golden tinted onyx eyes as she walked closer to him. Her long blonde hair swaying in the wind with each step.

"I have been watching over this forest for centuries, I will not have you taint it." She said confidently. She once again turned her back to him and continued down the path. "That spell would usually last up to twelve hours. But for a demon of your caliber I suspect it will break in forty minutes. Leave this place when it does." The woman then vanished as she went down a path up the mountain, leaving the demon lord in full rage. 'Once I get out of here I'm gonna burn down that shrine!'

...

The sun was now seeping down the horizon, bringing out the light of a full moon. The hour between night and day was when evil started to crawl out from the earth. A beautiful young looking woman tended to the grand cherry tree in the temple garden. Realizing the time she made her way to the temple's prayer room. She sat in front of the fire and began to chant a spell that would protect her shrine until sunrise.

"God of gods, Lord of Lords, creator of all, protector of man, protect this sacred land from evil. God of gods, Lord of lords, creator of all, protector of man, protect this sacred land from evil-" She would repeat this chant for the entire hour, strengthening the barrier to last through the night. Thirty minutes into the chant, she felt her barrier waver. Brushing it off as an animal she continued on. Unknowingly being watched by the king of all demons.

He watched the woman from the corner of the room, looking for the right moment to strike her down. The hour had passed and the priestess had finished her enchantment. As she stood up from her place in front of the fire, END swiftly aimed his claws at the center of her back. However, the woman noticed him, and with a thrust of her hand, the same white light from before sent him flying back.

"I thought I told you to leave my forest." She said firmly and looked back at him.

"Who are you?" He demanded in rage.

The woman took a moment to stare at him before answering. "The guardian spirit of this land known as Lucy." The woman said as she walked closer to him.

"Your not a spirit, I can smell the human on you." END spat. He tried to get up but was frozen once again as Lucy made hand symbols in the air.

"I am neither human nor spirit. I am a guardian of the trees." Lucy kneeled before him and put a hand on his forehead. "Thou dweller of the underworld do not belong on this sacred land. I banish thee back to where thou'st belong. Bane!" From her chant END's body started to glow and in a flash of white light he was back at Tartaros. He slammed his fist into the ground and let out a roar. "I'm gonna kill her!"

...

It's been almost a month since they first met and almost a month that he has continually attempted to kill the priestess, guardian, spirit or whatever she was, and almost a month that he has failed. He's never had a chance to actually fight her because every time he was sent back to Tartaros by her Bane spell. Growing increasingly irritated he spent nearly all of his time tryining to find a way to kill the damn woman. It was once again a full moon when END thought of a way to kill her.

"Mard Geer!" He called his second in command into his study.

"Yes master?" The demon bowed.

"Get me an entrapment lacrama, now." He told him, not bothering to look up from his research. He had been doing research on guardians but have come up with little results.

"Of course master." He said and bowed out.

'It's only a matter of time.'

...

As the sun set Lucy was once again strengthening her temple's border. The hour went by with no interruptions which was quite queer. She would have expected that demon to show up by now. He's been annoyingly persistent in killing her, but after a two hundred years of isolation she was happy to have company, even if they were trying to end her life.

With the hour gone and the border at full strength Lucy decided to sit outside under her cherry tree, it was spring after all.

As she sat outside she could her the noises of lesser demons at work in her forest. But she did not worry, the barrier would keep her safe. Although she would have to remember to do a sweep of the mountain to kill them tomorrow. After a while Lucy started to feel a chill and decided to go inside. But she was stopped in her attempt to leave when an orb of blue light came hurling at her. With no time to react she was encased in a cage of burned wood.

"Bullseye!" A voice shouted. Lucy looked up to see the demon from before hiding in the trees. "I must say you were a real pain in the neck, but I finally got you where I want you." He walked up to her with a stupidly smug grin on his face. The cage opened up but the wood still blinded her legs and arms.

"How does it feel to be the one who can't move?" He inquired as he circled her. Lucy made no movements and said nothing. END started to get irritated by her lack of reaction. "Maybe this will help..." He slashed her right shoulder causing her to scream. He smiled at her pain and continued to cut up her body with his dragon like claws. When he was finally satisfied Lucy had become a pile of bloody flesh. His hands were dripping with her blood and his pink hair was stained red. "Tell me," he whispered in her ear and ran a claw along her face "do you fear death."

Mouth dripping with her own blood; she gurgled out a quiet "No". Not having it with her stubbornness, END stabbed his left hand through her chest.

"Then revel in it." He whispered. He pulled his hand back out and her body came crashing to the ground, unmoving and lifeless.

With his work finally done he left the temple grounds. Not looking back. He had finally killed her.

...

Once END was gone Lucy's lifeless body started to glow. At the same time, the rainbow cherry blossoms glitterd and fell around her in a spiral. Blossoms fell onto her wounds and by just a single touch, started to heal. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up at the glowing tree. As long as the cherry tree was alive she would not die.

...

It had been two weeks since END had killed Lucy and everything was back to normal. Same old boring daily routine of desk work, bossing around his subordinates, and torturing his prisoners. But their screams just weren't doing it for him any more. He didn't find the same kind of pleasure in their cries of suffering and pain. He longed to hear the screams of the young guardian he murdered.

Being uninterested in anything from the moving castle, END decided to go back to the guardian's forest.

Flying from his home the castle had moved about two hundered miles from the forest. So the flight took twice as long, but with his speed, it only took ten minutes. He soared along the river watching his reflection in the water. Coming to a stop at a waterfall, END settled down on the ground to start a walk through the woods. Finding the path from before he followed it up to the mountain, but at the mountain's base he was stopped by a barrier. It was new, like it was set up yesterday, and very strong. "It can't be." He forced the border to break in a matter of seconds and ran up the mountain path to the shrine. Another barrier surrounded the shrine and stronger than the last. Though it took longer, END was able to break the spell within ten seconds.

...

Lucy knew something was wrong when she felt her first barrier collapse but when the second one went she knew their was an intruder on her mountain. She came rushing out of the temple only to smash into something, or someone. She fell back on her butt and cupped her nose as it started to bleed.

"Who goes-" she began but stopped when she saw a dark figure looming over her. It was the demon.

...

He was beyond shocked to say the least. The girl he watched die by his hands was alive and fully well in front of him. The both were frozen in place, neither moving an inch. A million thoughts were running through his head. Such as, how is she alive?, is she immortal?, how many times do I have to kill her?, does this have to do with her being a 'gaurdian'?, I'm glad she's alive.

END mentally froze at the last one. Why should he care if this woman is alive? He's been trying to kill her for a month! He had to find out why she was still alive, and how to end her.

"How are you not dead?" He questioned. Lucy stood up and brushed herself off.

"Simple my soul is not in my body." She answered like it was obvious. END gave her a confused look so she continued on. "A guardian's duty is to protect what they stand for. Guardians of water, the sky, knowledge, strength, and animals. We must live for a mass amount of time and as such our souls are hidden out side of our body to preserve our lives." She explained in detail.

"So all I have to do is destroy the container holding your soul and you'll die." END stated then smirked. "I can kill you."

"Destroy the container and another one will take it's place. Thus I will be reborn again as a small child. This cycle will continue forever. In a way you can kill 'this' me, because when I'm reborn I will remember nothing except my duty to protect this land."

"When was the last time you were reborn?" He asked, becoming quite interested in the life of a guardian.

"180 years ago. For guardians I am still young, in my teens you might say." She told the demon. END then laid down on the temple's porch and closed his eyes.

"Uhh, what are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"I can kill you but you'd only be reborn. There's no fun in that." He sighed. Lucy watched him skeptically not sure if she could trust him.

"You never told me your name." Lucy said suddenly. The pink-haired demon stared back at her, onyx meeting chocolate.

"Etherious Natsu Dragneel, or END." He voiced.

"Etherious...?" Lucy repeated. "Hmm, I think I like Natsu better." She smiled.

...

It was now time for the changing of the seasons. Natsu had spent most of his summer days at the shrine with the blonde to pass his seemingly endless time. He found they are very much alike and very different. It was a nice mix between them. Feeling bored, Natsu had killed Lucy twice that summer. But she didn't mind that much because she would always heal right away. It didn't take long for him to figure out that her soul resided within the cherry blossom tree. Finally, he knew what her one weakness was, how to kill the forest guardian. But even though opportunities practically threw themselves at him, Natsu never made his move. He knew by destroying the tree he would only be killing the current Lucy and she would just be reborn. Plus she wouldn't remember him and for some reason the mere thought of it made his skin crawl.

Lucy had made a habit of calling him by his middle name instead of his nickname, so he decided to go along with it as well. Natsu liked to pull pranks on her, but slowly over the season, stopped desiring pain upon Lucy and instead wanted to see her happy.

He learned that she loved star gazing and wild strawberries. So one day he made her a plate of strawberries in the shape of canis minor, who she liked to call plue. She was so happy that she tackled Natsu in a hug. He was shocked by her actions and accidentally cut her arm. Natsu freaked out and apologized profusely but Lucy brushed of his silly antics, saying she would be fine. With a simple touch of the cherry tree her arm was healed, such is the power of their containers.

It was now autumn and all the plants started to change color and eventually wilt. Leaves started to cover the forest floor like a blanket. And as they went deeper into the season, Natsu noticed Lucy was becoming weaker.

"Lucy are you ok? Do you need to be healed?" He questioned worried for her health. Lucy shook her head and smiled lightly.

"I'm okay, it's just getting around the time for me to sleep." She said.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"Guardians of nature are special. They're tied in with the land in which they protect. So when winter comes and the tree is left completely bare, I will sleep until spring." She explained to him. Natsu thought it over for a while in his head until he came to a conclusion.

"So you'll basically be dead until spring?" He voiced his thoughts. "What would happen if someone killed you?"

"Nothing really, as long as the tree is here I am here as well. I'd just be reborn in the spring anyway."

Natsu nodded in understanding but then reality hit him. He would be alone all winter, just him in the temple.

"I'll be all alone..." He whispered. Lucy looked at him with sympathetic eyes and rubbed his back.

"I'll be back in spring don't worry." The blonde chimed.

"Who said I was worried? I'm just gonna miss making fun of that stupid face of yours." Natsu shook her off and pouted.

"Of course you big baby."

One week later, Lucy fell asleep.

...

He didn't know why it was bothering him so much. He was used to being alone, he preferred it. But sitting by himself in the silent shrine was suffocating. He missed the liveliness the blonde brought. He could go back home to Tartaros but he didn't want to leave Lucy. What if she got cold? Natsu what if she got eaten by wolves? He knew she would regenerate but he still didn't wish death upon her.

Oh My Zeref did he just think that? He, king of all demons, who relishes it fear and suffering wants to protect someone?! That's absurd! What has she done to him?!

With out delay Natsu- no, END fled the shrine and flew back to his moving castle. That witch has done something to me and I won't be fooled by her tricks. "I have to get away from that woman!"

It wasn't to hard to find his home and was greeted back by a parade of his followers led by Mard Geer.

"Master, we are all pleased to see your return, what could have kept you away for so long?" Mard Geer sounded and everyone anxiously awaited his answer.

"Nothing." He said flatly. The room was filled with silence as their leader left them and retreated to his dark study. "Back to the old grind I guess."

...

It hasn't even been a month since he came back and END was already sick of the castle. He could barely get any rest with all the servants running around. Mard Geer has been bugging him to no end trying to figure out where he has been. END has already tried his daily dose of torturing the prisoners but it didn't change anything. He felt lonelier than he was at the shrine, if that was even possible. He shouldn't be able to feel an emotion such as loneliness that's just not how he was made. But he longed to be by Lucy's side for some reason unknown to him. When ever he was with her he felt an strangely strong emotion unfamiliar to him. It wasn't hate or bitterness. It was sorta like pleasure but not the kind he got from others suffering. A bit like lust but different, and way stronger. He felt a tight pain in his chest but it felt oddly good.

END- Natsu couldn't quite put his finger on it but knew he felt a strange pull to the girl. He just wanted to be with her. Natsu may have changed but it felt like a good kind of change.

Natsu got up from his desk, a stack of papers left unfinished, and headed for the large double doors leading outside his study. When he opened the doors he was met face to face with Mard Geer.

"Hello master, is everything alright?" He smiled creepily.

"No." Natsu said and turned down the hallway.

"Watch your step," he called after his master "the pathway can be tricky." Natsu nodded back at him and continued down the hall. He had a feeling there was a lot more meaning in the words of his second in command.

...

Flying as quickly as he could over mountain tops Natsu reached the forest he was so familiar with. Following the river upstream he found the path that led up to Lucy's shrine. He landed on the porch and folded his wings against his back. Gently, Natsu pulled the sliding door open to her room and found her sleeping on her futon. Her once milky cream skin was now a horrid crackled white. Natsu reverted his claws into hands and ran a hand along her face. She was as cold as ice, and just as thin.

Natsu scooted her over and got under the covers with her, sharing his body heat with her. Even though she was technically dead, she was also alive. For the rest of the winter he fueled the fire in the prayer room to keep the shrine warm and lit, cleaned, and kept Lucy warm. And that unknown emotion only grew stronger.

It was now spring. It had been for three weeks. Natsu had been looking after the forest guardian for two and a half months now. Lucy told him she'd wake up when it was spring, so why was she still sleeping? Had she lied to him?

Natsu sat on a maple pillow on the porch and looked out at the garden, a sakura pillow right next to him, left empty. He noticed a while ago that the grand cherry blossom tree was not in bloom yet. Natsu guessed that was the reason Lucy was still asleep. Sighing, Natsu stood up and walked back inside. He had dumped his old black leather outfit for the olive green and brown yukata Lucy had made him last autumn, but refused to wear. It was actually surprisingly comfortable and warm.

Three days later while Natsu was tending to the koi pond, he felt something brush against his neck. Looking over his shoulder his eyes widened into dinner plates. The tree was blooming! Like magic, the wind blew some cherry blossoms off their branches and swirled around his body. Natsu felt a strange sense of comfort fall over him. In a swift movement the blossoms flew away and into the shrine, Natsu followed after. When he came he saw the the craziest and most beautiful thing in his life. The pink flowers seemed to sparkle and dance around her body. One by one they fell on her and seemed to be absorbed into her skin in a pink glow. As the final cherry blossom disappeared Lucy's entire body lit up in a bright light then was gone. Her eyes slowly opened up in a squint. Natsu was now at her side looking over her.

"Lucy?" He called hesitantly, still worried she'd have forgotten him. Lucy smiled and lifted her hand to caress his cheek.

"Natsu..." In a flash she was enveloped in a large hug. The demon noticeably had tears running down his face but Lucy just chuckled to herself. No words were exchanged as they sat together in each other's grasp. Neither of them breaking apart. For Lucy... It was as if she had fell asleep only a day ago. But for Natsu it was months of being on his own and Lucy felt terrible for that, but she honestly thought he would leave her and head back to his home.

"I have to say... I didn't think you would be here when I woke up." She whispered softly. Natsu stiffened for a second then relaxed, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. But before she could ask he answered.

"I did leave." Natsu said solemnly. "I went home for a few weeks."

"It's perfectly fine if you want to leave, Natsu." Lucy said calmly, trying to cheer him up. "Even if you do leave, I will wait for you." Natsu let go of Lucy and stared at her in the eye. She only smiled, seemingly unaffected by his intense gaze. Time stopped for him as he sat in a daze created by something unknown to him, but Lucy knew it, she'd keep it to herself though. This was something Natsu had to figure out for himself.

...

Spring was coming to an end and once again it was the changing of the seasons. Natsu had decided to stay at the shrine and make the forest his new home. Tartaros would be just fine, after all, his second in command was quite capable. Lucy had given Natsu his very own room right next to hers. It was strange to him. The amount of trust she put in the demon. Did she not fear him?

Natsu's pondering was cut off when Lucy lightly patted his head for attention.

"I'm going to the river to fetch some water. Do you want to come?" She asked politely.

"Sounds better than sitting around all day." Natsu breathed. Lucy smiled and turned to the shrine gates, Natsu followed shortly after.

Making their way down to the river Lucy hummed a quiet tune in her head. Natsu ignored it and put his hands on the back of his head while he walked. There was a nice breeze that swayed through the tree branches. The partial sunlight fell on the forest floor illuminating their surroundings. They didn't speak but that was fine, just being in each other's company was soothing. "Look Natsu." Her voice came quietly. Natsu looked to where she was pointing. In the shade sat a group of small white flowers. "Their called bloodroot flowers, the juice is highly poisonous to animals and humans but have no affect on other plants. And their my favorite."

Natsu stared at her queerly. "If their poisonous why are they your favorite?" He inquired.

"Because there's two sides to them. While they may be beautiful on the outside, the juice from the inside is quite deadly. I like to think everything has two sides to itself." The sad smile Lucy held on her face was something he would never forget. She always looked so happy and cheerful, was that just the outside appearance?

"What are your two sides?" Lucy questioned looking back at him. What were his two sides? He only knew one thing all his life, and that was he stood on top of everything. But ever since he came to this forest and met Lucy... He wasn't sure about anything anymore.

"I'm a guardian." Lucy voiced, cutting through Natsu's thoughts. "I'm duty bound to protect this forest from evil and those who what to destroy it. But... I'm also a woman who dreams of adventure." Her voice turned into a sad tone and she didn't smile.

"Can't you leave the forest?" He asked. Lucy shook her head slowly. "If you left for just a day I'm sure-"

"It's not that I don't wanna leave by obligation." Lucy interrupted, "It's impossible for me to leave because if I take a step out of the woodland I'll die and reincarnate." Lucy muttered, walking down the path once again to the river. Natsu was shell shocked by her words. Centuries upon centuries this girl... Lucy, had been all alone and could never leave this so called prison. But she always managed to hold that bright smile of hers through thick and thin. Natsu may have felt alone in his flying palace but he was still surrounded by his followers. But... for Lucy... she had no one, completely alone for uncountable years.

Lucy noticed Natsu's pained expression and reached out her hand and set it on his shoulder. Natsu looked up at her smiling face, which felt like a stab to the heart.

"Do not fret, I have accepted my fate and have grown accustomed to the forest's solitude. You need not give me pity." Comforted him, though it seemed that the sentence was a little forced. Lucy picked up her bucket and once again headed for the river, Natsu following closely.

By the time they got back the sun was on the horizon. Lucy started on the preparations for dinner while Natsu simply sat among the branches of the cherry blossoms. This had become his favorite place to relax but was extra careful when he did. Not long ago, Natsu accidentally snapped a piece of a branch off and inflicted pain upon Lucy. Lucy still let him climb the tree, saying she trusted he would not hurt her on purpose.

From the corner of his eye, Natsu saw Lucy set down two wooden plates and sake glasses. For dinner was grilled fish with soy sauce and rice balls. Lucy was dressed in a beautiful red kimono with a pink sakura design. Her long hair was left down to flow all around her. The light of the rising moon turning the blonde into a pale silver.

"Natsu!" She called out. "Dinner is ready, come down here!" Natsu obeyed and hopped down, ruffling his hair as he went. He walked over to where Lucy poured him his sake. Natsu gave a quick thank and sipped on his glass while Lucy served him his fish.

Lucy watched Natsu and smiled lightly to herself. He had changed so much since he first came to her shrine. He was no longer the blood thirsty demon who's only goal was to kill her. Now he was more gentle and playful than before. Even his appearance had changed from a full on demon with black wings, horns, claws and golden eyes. But now looked more like a man, his wings and horns were hidden and his claws retracted into normal hands. His fangs were still present and there was a hint of gold in his eyes yet.

Natsu had given up so much beside his looks to stay there, it made Lucy feel bad.

"Hey Natsu, you never told me about your other half." Lucy noted. Natsu stopped eating and looked over at the guardian. They held eye contact for quite a while, both mesmerized by each other, before Natsu looked away and swallowed.

"I don't even know if I have another half..." Natsu muttered. "The only thing I've known my entire life was that I stood on top of everything. I never questioned it and never had to prove it. It's just a fact I was created with... in all honesty... I don't even know who I am."

Natsu looked wistfully into his hands. The thought of him roaming blindly through his life peeved him to say the least. Just who was he? He was Etherious Natsu Dragneel, the most powerful of Zeref's creations. Or was he just Natsu? The childish demon who lived with the shrine's guardian.

Natsu was brought back to the surface of his thoughts when he felt Lucy lean against him. He looked down and saw her resting her head on his chest. Natsu felt a slight blush crawl up to his cheeks.

"To me, Natsu is Natsu. You are a very dear part of my life and I am glad we met by the river. But if you want to go... I won't stop or blame you for doing so." Lucy mumbled quietly.

She's right. He could leave this place, go find himself, go home to the castle. There was nothing to stop him. But when he thought of not being able to see the blonde everyday... leaving her alone, abandoning her to once again be on her own in solitude. He couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Don't be so foolish." Natsu said sternly. "I could never leave you..."

And there, under the light of the full moon, Natsu held onto both sides of Lucy's face and started deep into her eyes. As if searching for something important, he sat there unblinking while he let himself fall into the chocolate pools of her eyes. Unconsciously, Natsu inched closer to her, and Lucy followed suit. Closing his eyes the two shared a tender kiss worth a thousand and one words. Months worth of feelings were poured out into the open as they revealed their burning desire for one another. Time seemed to stop around them and the world was as if it had vanished. Nothing else mattered but each other, and the warm embrace felt by this one, special, kiss.

After what felt like an eternity had gone by, the two separated to catch their breath, both panting heavily. No words were exchanged as their eyes held within them there own unique language.

"Your playing with fire."

"I don't mind the heat."

Taking the next movement, Natsu slowly laid Lucy down on her back and crawled over her body. With one last glance, Natsu sent her his last message.

"You might get burned."

...

Natsu had lost count of the number of seasons it had been since he decided to stay that fateful night under the moon. Lucy woke up from her yearly slumber about two weeks ago and was currently recuperating underneath her cherry blossom tree, which was also the container for her soul. From just a single touch Lucy could heal herself and regain her strength. Because of the tree, Lucy could be considered immortal. But if the tree was destroyed, her soul would find a different container and she would be reborn as a child and forget about her previous life. Knowing this, Natsu and Lucy took steps to protect their memories.

Natsu swore upon himself to protect the tree even at the cost of his own life. While Lucy kept a journal about all the important moments they spent together. Natsu had surprised her one day a few seasons back with a small ceremony he put together, where Natsu had made her his wife.

As Lucy sat still under her tree, Natsu brought her tea to drink. Being the guardian and holy deity of the forest, Lucy did not require food to live, but she still enjoyed tea and a bit of rice every now and then. But being a demon dragon hybrid Natsu needed food, namely meat.

They sat together in silence as they watched the bright blue sky. Pedals floated around them in all directions creating a surreal feeling. Natsu looked over at Lucy and smiled gently at her swollen stomach. They had been expecting for quite some time. Lucy was five months in when winter had hit, so before she fell asleep, Natsu made her eat like a bear going into hibernation. And he was glad he did cause while she was beefed up before she went to sleep, she was so thin when she woke she could barely move. The whole thing had terrified Natsu, he thought he was gonna lose both of them.

Lucy rested her head on Natsu's shoulder and gently closed her eyes, falling asleep. Natsu grabbed her hand and kissed her head. He had changed so much from the person he used to be because of Lucy. He could imagine his life with out the blonde guardian. She taught him to appreciate the little things, how to laugh and smile not derived from another's pain, but from a simple joke. And most importantly... Lucy took his cold heart and warmed it into a loving heart, then stole it. He's not sure how but he had come to love her more than anything else. To Natsu, Lucy was more important than the air he breathed or the ground he stood on, Lucy was his everything. She was his air, his ground, his light, his savior from the darkness where he dwelt.

A crackle in the distance snapped Natsu out of his thoughts and look at the horizon. Dark clouds were gathering the far of skies and moving in fast. A flash of light followed by another crackle sounded causing Natsu to worry. Careful not to wake her up, Natsu put his arms around her and picked her up princess style. At the movement, Lucy slowly lifted her eyelids and looked up at her husband. "Natsu...?" She whispered.

Natsu looked down at her and smiled lightly. "A storm's brewing, it's best to get you inside." He told her, Lucy yawned and dug her head in his neck. Stiffening suddenly, Lucy let out a quick yelp of pain. Natsu panicked and set her down on the porch gently and started fussing over her.

"Th-The baby...it's coming." Lucy breathed then bent forward in pain.

"I'll take you to our room." Natsu said briefly as he went to pick her up again, but stopped at an all to familiar voice.

"I've been searching for you for the past seven years, Master." Natsu slowly turned around and from the corner of his eye, he saw the man he had forgotten, yet still remembered. His former right hand man, Mard Geer Tartaros. "I see you've been having some fun while you were away." The black haired demon smirked. "And with a nature guardian no less."

"Why are you here?" Natsu inquired as he he took a cautious step in front of Lucy.

"I've come to bring you home. You've been away from the throne for far to long my lord." Mard Geer bowed, mockery laced in his words. Lucy let out another shriek and panted heavily, trying to keep the baby in a bit longer.

"I must say you have most certainly fallen from grace Etherious Natsu Dragneel. Once the mighty king of the demon books of Zeref, now a guard dog of a run down shrine and it's spirit guardian. And worst of all you've taken on that hideous human form!" Mard Geer said in dismay, seeing how his lord and master had come to such a pitiful state. This was no longer the great Etherious he once served.

"I know you... if you had really come here to bring me back you wouldn't waist so much time with talk." Natsu stated and edged closer to his wife. "Why are you really here?"

At Natsu's question Mard Geer allowed a sickly sadistic smile creep up his features. He began to slowly pace back and forth in front of him.

"Do you know why we Etherious demons are incapable of love?" Mard Geer asked slowly. When Natsu gave no answer he continued. "Because it's weakness. And weakness corrupts power. When Zeref created your book, created you, he did not only and dragon to your demon blood but also human. So out of all of us at the castle you were the only one who could think like a human. However with your demon blood being your dominant blood, you were definitely the most twisted among us all...until you met her." Natsu gave a quick glance back at Lucy the turned back to Mard Geer. He knew exactly why he had come here today, it was to kill his wife. Mard Geer took one step forward but was stopped immediately. In a split second Natsu was in front of him with his hand around his neck.

"Let's fly." Black leathery wings appeared on his back and they shot up into the blackened sky. Flying at high speed Mard Geer could do nothing against his iron grip. Once they were around 30,000 feet higher after about thirty seconds, Natsu did a spin then dived down at 1,000 feet per second. As they went down, Natsu's hands turned into claws, eyes pure gold, large horns appeared on his head, and black markings formed all over his body. At the sight of his return, a light seemed to shine in Mard Geer's eyes.

They crashed into the ground in a grand explosion that blew away everything within a mile radius. Natsu didn't allow his enemy to get up and immediately blasted him with a petrification spell.

"Oh my lord," Mard Geer sighed as he broke his spell with ease. "Did you think a weak enchantment like that could stop me?" He jeered. Mard Geer casted a spell of his own and from the air shot large rose thorns heading straight for Natsu's head. With a blink of his eye, Natsu disintegrated the thorns into ash before him. Mard Geer tried not to look shell shocked and gritted his teeth. "Try three times as many!" He howled and crossed his arms before him. An uncountable amount of thorns shot at him in every direction. But just as before, Natsu did have to lift a finger to eliminate them.

Mard Geer took a step back and stared at the mighty being before him. Sweat dripped down his face and he felt fear start to consume his body.

"What's wrong Mard?" Natsu taunted and walked forward, backing the black haired etherious back in fear. Rain started to fall around them, first light then becoming heavier by the second. "Did you forget the level of power I hold in the past seven years I've been away?"

Mard Geer could no longer back up as he felt his back hit a rock that somehow survived the earlier explosion. Natsu loomed over his body like a lion over it's kill. His cold, hard eyes penetrating his soul and ripping it out and crushing it under the pressure of his gaze. He slowly lifted his claws above his heart. "Game over."

Natsu went for the killing blow but stopped when a cry reached his ears, the cry of a baby. "My child..." Natsu whispered in realization, he had to end this quickly. He looked down and saw that noticed that Mard Geer had vanished. 'When...' he questioned.

Natsu shot straight up and flew back to the guardian's shrine. He'd be damned if he let his family get hurt while he was there. Upon reaching the entrance, Natsu saw Mard Geer standing over Lucy's bloody body. Infuriated, the king rammed into his former subordinate sending him flying. Lucy's body was mangled and distorted but in her arms underneath her, she held onto a small bundle squirming about.

Natsu kneeled before Lucy and turned her over. Rain soaked her clothes that were stained red with her blood. Natsu lightly shook her body but she didn't respond, he started to shake her harder. "Lucy! Answer me damn it!" Tears spilled uncontrollably from his eyes and he buried his face in her stained blonde hair. He let out a series of mirthless cries into the sky as he held her unmoving body in arms.

Suddenly a hysterical laugh broke through his sobs as Mard Geer clutched onto his stomach in an attempt to control his laughter. Natsu stopped crying and looked at the small infant in her arms, getting wet from the rain. Retracting his claws he picked the small baby. He could tell from the scent that it was a girl. She had his pink hair and stared at him with his mother's eyes. She had fangs and small wings on her back, but unlike her father's, they were white and gold. When his daughter gazed up at him, she stopped crying and started to giggle.

Then Natsu realised that Lucy was not gone yet, the tree could save her.

"Is that meat sack still alive?" Mard Geer sounded behind him, Natsu flinched at the reminder that he was still there. "Guess I'll just have to ki-" He was left mid sentence as Natsu grabbed his skull in his hand and crushed it like an egg. His body dropped to the ground and Natsu turned back to Lucy's body.

He picked up Lucy in one hand and held his little girl in the other. Nashi... that was her name, from the combination of his middle name and the pronunciation of Lucy from his native language, Rushi.

Setting Nashi down covered in a new, dry blanket, Natsu undressed Lucy and cleaned her wounds. By the time he was done, the large bowl of holy water had turned red. Natsu dressed her in a new kimono and laid her down on their futon, with Nashi in between them. When the storm was over, he'd take her to the tree.

The next day Natsu brought Lucy out to the cherry blossom tree and was horrified at the sight, their was a large hole in the tree.

"No... NO!" He shouted running up to the tree. This tree was her very soul, if it were destroyed... He'd lose the current her. Natsu sat Lucy under the tree and sat patiently next to her with Nashi in his arms.

This went on for several days until Natsu knew she wasn't healing. But he absolutely refused to believe she was never coming back. He built her a glass casket under the tree and tended to it everyday, believing that once the tree was healed she would come back to him. But the question that ate away at him every night was weather or not she remembered who he was.

...

It had been several winters since the fateful day he fought and killed his second in command. Several winters since he had lost his wife. And several winters Nashi had to grow up without a mother. She was five now, and she was just the cutest thing in the world, his world. Natsu still looked over the shrine and would often take Nashi out with him when he went fishing or just for a walk. Nashi had begged him to teach her how to fly but he told her that she was still to young, her wings couldn't support her yet.

Natsu often told stories about how he and Lucy met and the time they spent together. One day she asked why her mother was asleep in the yard. It broke his heart to tell her, but he sparred her the specifics, saying she's asleep because she protected her from an evil wizard and she would wake up when the tree healed. He once found Nashi putting a bandage around the tree, claiming that it would wake mommy up faster. But seeing such an innocent action from his only daughter broke his heart even further. He ended up crying in front of her, something he vowed never to do. He felt lost with out the blonde to guide him.

Natsu woke up from slumber and let out a loud yawn and stretched his aching muscles. Getting up, he walked over to the the kitchen and pulled out some goat milk and cheese. Realizing just fish everyday wasn't gonna be a good diet for Nashi, Natsu captured a few mountain goats and wild chickens. They even planted their own vegetable garden together, even though she refuses to eat them.

Natsu had just finished making breakfast when Nashi walked in yawning, still dresses in her pajamas with her stuffed cat, Happy.

"What's fo bweakfast daddy?" She asked rubbing her eyes.

"Fried eggs over rice." He responded, picking Nashi up and spinning her around. She squealed and laughed as Natsu flew her through the air. "I was thinking that since your sixth birthday is next week, you'd like to have a small flying lesson?" Natsu suggested, Nashi's face immediately brightened up and she nodded her head vigorously.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" She chirped excitedly. Natsu laughed and set her down on her pink floor pillow in front of the table.

"First let's finish our breakfast. We don't want it to get cold..." Natsu suddenly faded out. Nashi looked at him strangely as he slowly walked to the door.

"Daddy?" She called. He didn't respond and walked out the door, curious, Nashi followed him.

The wind had shifted. What's more it held a familiar energy and scent. The one he knew from so long ago. Running out to the porch Natsu saw that the cherry blossoms were circling the glass casket. They were trying to get to Lucy.

"Daddy what's going on?" Nashi asked scared. Natsu turned around and keeled down to his daughter's height.

"Nashi baby, stay right here ok? I'll be right back." He told her. She nodded her head and Natsu gave her forehead a quick peck then ran over to the dancing petals. Trying to get through them was harder than he thought, it was like a force was holding him back. Fighting through it he reached her casket, the second he lifted it he was sent flying back by a bright light, he heard Nashi scream at the action but he was to distracted. In spirals the cherry pedals circled around the blonde's body and was absorbed into her skin while giving off a golden light. With one last flash, the blossoms disappeared. Lucy slowly arose from her tomb. Looking around in a daze she stumbled to understand what was going on. Finally her eyes fell on Natsu, then it all became clear. "Natsu..." She cried. Natsu started to tear up and ran over to her, pulling her into a bone crushing hug. Holding onto her as if she could be ripped from him at any second.

"I knew you would come back." Natsu murmured digging his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry it took so long." Lucy apologized wrapping her arms around his neck. However their reunion was short lived when Natsu felt a tug on his leg. He looked down at Nashi standing right next to them. Natsu smiled and pushed away from Lucy to stare into the chocolate brown eyes he missed so much, but was able to see through Nashi.

"Would you like to meet our daughter?"

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 **Thank you so much for taking your time to read my story! I put a lot of heart into this story and I hope you enjoyed**

 **And if you have already read this story, I went back and made a few changes and corrections, hope you noticed them.**

 **Favorite, Follow, Review~**


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